Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic insists Lionel Messi accepted his benching last night.
Messi started in the dugout for the 2-0 Champions League win over Sporting CP.
Rakitic said, "The truth is that he is happy, the important thing is that he is with us and that we have him on our side.
"Sometimes he must rest, playing with him is always special and when he has 20 or 25 minutes to completely change the game and the pace, it's good that he's fine in every game and we have to take good care of him."
Rakitic also commented on Javier Mascherano, who is ready to leave Barca next month.
"We have not talked to him.
"He is an important player for the team and he is always at a high level. He is very important for the team."
Source: tribalfootball.com